Blower bearing



July 30, 1935. A. E. FITZGERALD BLOWER BEARING Filed Dec. 12, 1932 "i 1*E v,

OJ (9 o m n w I Y W J /5 E \huehfo? Alualfiifii gevald ax- @iu PatentedJuly 30, 1935 UNITED STATES BLOWER BEARING Alvah E. Fitzgerald, Holland,Mich., assignor to Holland Furnace Company, Holland, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application December 12, 1932, Serial No.646,774

' 2 Claims. (01. 30860) This invention relates to an adjustable bearingand more particularly an adjustable bearing mounting for fan or blowerrotors.

The invention particularly pertains to a device comprising two spacedapart blowers, each having a rotor and. two alined shafts on which therespective rotors are mounted. The shafts are journaled ina unitarymember having bearings for the respective shafts and the unitary bearingmember is mounted upon a base by means which provide a convenient,accessible and universal adjustment of the bearing member whereby therotors may be properly located in their respective blower casings. Theinvention also provides means for conveniently removing and replacingthe endless belt which passes over a pulley on one of the blower shaftsby which the shafts are driven. The invention provides various othernovel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a device embodying this invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bearing member and,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of one of theadjustable supporting and fastening means by which the bearing member issecured to its support.

Like reference numbers refer tolike parts in all of the figures.

l represents a support on which the various members of the device aremounted. 2 are the blower housings each having inlet openings 3 atrespective opposite vertical sides. The blowers herein shown are of thecentrifugal type and are each provided with rotors 4 of the squirrelcage type. Each of the rotors 4 has a hub 5 which is mountedrespectively on shafts 6 and 1. The shafts 6 and I are respectivelyprovided with journal bearings 8 and 9 which hold the shafts inalinement and the journal bearings 8 and 9 are formed on respectivebifurcations of a yoke shaped bearing member ID.

The shafts 6 and 'I have their adjacent ends spaced apart for thepurpose hereafter described and are joined by a suitable flexiblecoupling II which coupling is preferably attached to the respectiveshafts by set screws l2. The shafts are held against longitudinalmovements in their bearings by the hubs 5 of the rotors in engagementwith the ends of the bearings, and the shaft 6 is provided with a collarI3 in engagement with for universal adjustment on the support I.

the opposite end of the bearing 8 while the shaft 9 is provided with apulley M, the hub l5 of whichengages one end of the bearing 8.

'An endless belt (not shown) passes around the pulley l4 and arounda-driving pulley such as the pulley on a motor shaft in a conventionalmanner to drive the shafts and fan rotors and, as is Well known, thedriving belt must occasionally be removed because of wear and bereplaced with another one. Forthis purpose the coupling I I must beunclamped from the respective shafts by loosening the set screws l2 andslid longitudinally onto the shaft 6 disclosing the space between thetwo shafts which is sufficient to pass the endless belt so that it canbe completely removed and a new one inserted between the ends of theshafts and placed over the pulley after which the coupling H is movedback to its normal position and clamped to both shafts by the set screws12.

In this particular device it is essential to have the blowers 4accurately located within their housings and to provide this accurateadjustment the unitary bearing member I0 is fastened The member H! has abase I6 which is provided with three threaded openings l1 arrangedrelative to each other as at the respective angles of a triangle. Athreaded bearing bushing I8 is screwed into each threaded opening I1 andis long enough to extend completely through the base l6, each bushing l8having an axial opening. The support I is provided with three screwthreaded openings I 9 located to correspond with the openings I! in thebase 16 and a screw 29 is provided for each of the threaded openings I9which screws are appreciably smaller in diameter than the diameter ofthe opening through each bushing iii. A washer 2| surrounds each bolt 20and is interposed between the upper end of the bushing l8 and the headof the bolt or if preferred the head of the bolt may be of sufficientdiameter to obviate the necessity of the washer 2|. A rubber cushiongasket 22 is interposed between the lower end of eachbushing and thesupport I to absorb vibration and make the device operate more quietly.

In the structure above described the bushings l8 project through thebase l6 of the bearing member andserve as feet upon which the base issupported providing a three point mounting. Each of the bushings [8 orfeet is adjustable as to height by turning it in the threaded openingIT. The openings in the bushings l8, being larger than the bolts 20,also permits the bearing member ID to be adjusted horizontally upon thesupport I. By means of these various adjustments the rotors 4 may beaccurately positioned in their respective casings. The bearing member Inmay be moved in a plane parallel with the support I by reason of thespace surrounding the screws 20 in the bushings I8 and the bearingmember may be raised or lowered or tipped by screwing the bushings l8one way or another in the base l6. After proper adjustment has beenattained the screws 20 are tightened so that their heads will engage theWashers 2| and hold the bushings l8 firmly against the cushion members22 upon the base I.

This means of mounting the shafts 6 and l oentralizes the attachment tothe support, which arrangement prevents misalinement of the bearings 8and 9 by warping of the support I since the support will not appreciablywarp in the area over which the attaching screws 20 are distributed.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to securethe following combinations, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent ofthe United States:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of, a unitaryshaft bearing, closely grouped individually adjustable means forattaching said shaft bearing to a support, said supporting meanscomprising three triangularly located bushings screw threaded in saidbearing, each bushing having an axial opening and a screw extendingthrough each of said bushings and having a portion engaging the bushingand being screw threaded into said support.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of, a unitaryshaft bearing, closely grouped individually adjustable means forattaching said shaft bearing to a support, said supporting meanscomprising a plurality of bushings screw threaded into said bearing andengageable with said support, each bushing having an axial opening, and.a screw smaller than said axial opening and extending through eachbushing, said screw being engageable with the bushing and being screwthreaded into said support.

7 ALVAH E. FITZGERALD.

